Belgian MP: President Al-Assad an Ally not an Enemy

DAMASCUS, (ST)-The Belgian parliamentary delegation visiting Syria has stressed that President Bashar Al-Assad is an ally not a foe because he fights the terrorism and extremism that threatens the entire world.

The remarks were made yesterday by leader of the guest delegation, member of Belgium’s Flemish Parliament Filip Dewinter during his meeting with Speaker of the people’s Assembly Mohammad Jihad al-Lahham.

Dewinter also asserted that the delegation will seek restoring diplomatic ties with Syria and putting an end to the economic boycott imposed on the country, particularly because the Syrian people is the main victim of this boycott.

“President Bashar Al-Assad is an ally not an enemy as he fights the terrorism and extremist of which we are also suffering, Dewinter said, adding “we realize that if Syria falls, Jordan, Lebanon and countries of the Arab Maghreb neighboring Europe, that will also be hit by terrorism, will fall too.”

 He pointed out that “for us and for western people in general, Syria is the cradle of Christianity and Islam. It enjoys true democratic values due to the fact that it separates religion from state and it achieves equality between men and women.”   “We can see such a thing in Arab countries like Lebanon, but not in Saudi Arabia, Qatar or the United Arab Emirates which all are considered as the West’s allies,” he clarified.

Dewinter said the Europeans began to ask about the reality of events in Syria and the region, particularly after terrorists attacks have targeted France, Denmark and Belgium.

 “I apologize because the terrorists who are fighting in Syria have come from all over the world especially from Europe,” he added, pointing out that “about 445 Belgians have come to fight alongside the terrorists in Syria.”

He went on to say that we know well that Turkey is providing the terrorists including those coming from the West with all kinds of facilitations and support. Therefore, any future talks with the Turkish government must be stopped until it reconsiders its policies and halts its support for the terrorist organization calling itself the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL).

The Belgian politician said the delegation visited Syria to know what is really going on in the country, because the western media doesn’t tell the truth about Syria.

On his part, al-Lahham stressed that all need to know the truth about the crisis in Syria away from the lies and misleading campaigns promoted by the governments and the media outlets of the West.

He said that Syria was and is still open to cooperation and consultation with the world countries and with the international organizations, legislative establishments as well as the regional and international parliaments regarding what Syria is facing despite the negative stances adopted by some states and international institutions against Syria.

Al-Lahham clarified that some Western governments, particularly in the United States and France are still supporting terrorism in Syria through training what they call “moderate opposition”, stressing that all the terrorist organizations were created from the foreign-backed terrorist groups.

He affirmed that Saudi Arabia is the actual and exclusive source of terrorism while Qatar and Turkey play a financing role.

Hamda Mustafa